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A man is in custody after police worked for approximately 90 minutes to get him to exit a home after officers responded on a report of a disturbance between a father and son, where shots were possibly fired, according to Middletownâ€™s Chief of Police. The standoff occurred at a home in the 3000 block of Yankee Road Thursday, February 1. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Bond set at $50,000 for man accused of shooting at father before SWAT standoff

Bond was set at $50,000 on Friday for a Middletown man who allegedly fired several shots at his father in their residence Thursday, then caused a 90-minute standout with Middletown police when he refused to come out of his home on Yankee Road.

Robert Hacker, 46, faces numerous charges, the most serious being weapons under disability, a felony. Visiting Middletown Municipal Court Judge Margaret Clark asked the city prosecutor for a bond recommendation, and she said $50,000 for the felony and $3,000 for each of Hacker’s misdemeanors.

Clark decided on $50,000 bond and set Hacker’s preliminary hearing for Feb. 9.

Hacker remains in the Middletown City Jail. The self-employed mechanic was assigned a public defender.

He was charged with firing a weapon while intoxicated, weapons under disability, inducing panic, firing a weapon within city limits and for several bench warrants, police said.

Hacker allegedly fired three rounds in a house in the 3000 block of Yankee Road, police said.

After police arrived, it took the SWAT team about 90 minutes to get Hacker to exit a home after officers responded on a report of a disturbance between a father and son, where shots were possibly fired, according to Middletown Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw.

The Middletown SWAT team “got the business done,” Muterspaw said a few minutes after Hacker was placed in the back of a police cruiser.

Officers fired tear gas into the house and Hacker ran from the residence and that’s when members of the SWAT team took him into custody, police said. There also were Middletown K-9 officers at the scene.

Muterspaw called taking the suspect into custody without any shots being fired “the best-case scenario.”

Police found several weapons inside the home, the chief said.

Muterspaw said police are always concerned for neighbor safety in these situations and they had concerns the suspect may come out and begin shooting.

Hacker received medical treatment on scene and was transported to the Middletown Police Department for questioning, the chief said.

Because 25 police officers and 10 firefighters/paramedics were on the scene, Middletown called for the State Highway Patrol to monitor police activity in the city during the standoff, Muterspaw said.